United Air Comfort, Inc. It is a SCAM carried out in multiple tricks to ripoff people-big time ripoff rip off scam con artists Ft. Lauderdale Florida
I responded to the ad by the company to perform 'A/C Tune Up' service for $29. I called their phone number on July 10 and asked if the ad is real. I was told it is real. So I scheduled for the service. On July 11, two technicians from United Air Comfort came to my home.
I told them to perform the service as indicated in their company ad. One of them went up the attic and came down after two minutes to tell me that tapes are loose on two air duct joints. I asked him to tape them up. He handed me a paper to say that he needs work authorization. On the paper it listed the service cost of $29.
So I signed the paper. Afterwards, the two men worked for a while inside and then went outside. They told me that one of the A/C units wall needs to be cleaned and he told me that he is going to do that free of charge. I told him that if the service is not covered by the $29 ad I don't want it for free but I need to know how much more than $29 I need to pay.
AT that time one of them told me that the charge at that time is already $250. I was shocked and told him I do not understand how a $29-service plus taping two air duct joints can amount to $250. I started to suspect at that time that I have been scammed. I immediately told the men to stop and conclude the business. I told them that I would not agree to the $250 charge for the $29-advertised service plus the taping of two air duct joints.
I asked them to take the $29 for the service we agreed upon in and go through their company office for the charges for the taping of two air duct joints I agreed. The two men sit outside of my home for a while making phone calls and writing on a pad.
When they left, I found a paper at my door. It is the same paper that had the $29-service on it and I signed, except they have added a whole bunch of other items that I have no idea what they are. These items were not there when I signed the paper.
They added these items after I signed the contract! And the charge they wrote down is $667! For the $29 advertised service I requested plus taping of two air duct joints? I called the company twice to resolve this issue.
The first time they put me on hold three times (by a man with a deep voice) after hearing my phone number. He never returned after the third hold. When I called the second time, I talked to their customer service manager. I told her this seems to be a scam to be.
The woman told me that the $29 is for one unit and I have three units. I told her, the ad does not say anything about the number of units. It just says A/C TUNE-UP $29. The woman asked if I think the $29 for three units is fair.
I asked her to tell me what she thinks is a fair charge. She asked me to come up with the number. I told her it is $29 since it is advertised in paper. She told me 'see you in court' and hung up.
Feng
Lewisville, Texas
9 Updates & Rebuttals
Randy
Clearwater,Florida,
U.S.A.
file with attorney general or texas residential construction commission
#10Consumer Suggestion
Wed, January 07, 2004
I contacted the Texas attorney general office, they have 13 records on the company acknowledged or referred to other agencies for disposition, if you wish to file complaints and live in texas, you can file with attorney general or texas residential construction commission p.o.box 13144,austin Tx. 512-463-1040.
letter received from Carlos Ibaflez public information office of attorney general of texas 12/30/03.
John
Portland,Oregon,
U.S.A.
tom you have made some good points, well, where waiting
#10UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, December 23, 2003
well tom you have made some good points and yes it's all true but where is this tape you talk about i have made some calls and no one knows about it so when can i see this tape all the xemployees would love to see this and so would about half the lawers in a few states
so can you give us an idia when and where
and how we can get a copy of this tape
tom we all suport you and this tape could help all of the coustmers and employees that have made the mistake of working there
Lew
Midlothian,Texas,
U.S.A.
Until I hooked up with United, My license was clean. NOW.. It has been blotted,smudged, etc.
#10UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, December 17, 2003
The rebuttal with the name John-anytown California, Is actually me. Yes Lew King the license holder from Tx from the beginning- Jan 2001 To Nov 2002. Until I hooked up with United, My license was clean. NOW.. It has been blotted,smudged, etc. Well... The old saying is true, Hindsight is 20/20. had I been a little more knowledgable and checked them out, All my problems could have been avoided. Now that I have no more dealings with thse crooks, I can speak up. For several months I had TDLR breathing on me for things United was doing which was out of my control. Now things are closing down on my part, and a BIG can of worms has been opened on United. I cant speak much on this now ,but a little more time and I dont think we will hear or see from this company and its scams. Something my parent taught me, "You make your bed, You will lay in it". In other words, United has dealt wrong to thousands and thousands of people nation wide, and it will soon come back to them ...nation-wide.. a thousand fold. You just cant screw people over and over and expect them to enjoy it. As I have wrote in other submittals, What comes around ,goes around!! I am just waiting for the day to testify.
Randy
Tampa,Florida,
U.S.A.
Setting a minimum pound charge seems to make up for the un-accounted for gas.
#10Consumer Comment
Sat, December 13, 2003
3 lbs is bad only if they don't need any refrigerant
Tom, just a question, what's is wrong with setting a company policy that says if you break out the refrigerant, that the minimum charge is 3 pounds?
Now if you're saying (everybody) needs 3 pounds, that's wrong, and bad business.
I have done an experiment with my techs and asked them to write the pounds of refrigerant billed to the customer on the side of the 30 pound drum "box" every time it was used.
In most every case, we were only charging for 15 to 20 pounds out of a 30 pound drum.
Setting a minimum pound charge seems to make up for the un-accounted for gas.
And yes-- there is a mark-up, you need make money to be in business, to have employees' so they can pay taxes, to rebuild Iraq.
Tech
St. Louis,Missouri,
U.S.A.
I am with you Tom
#10UPDATE Employee
Thu, September 11, 2003
This is the only way i can tell you this tom i am with you i cant stand the ego trip since you were shut down i am on my way out soon i hope you know who this is if you do e mail me i will give you all the support you need i know how bad it really is as well
TOM
GRANITE CITY,Illinois,
U.S.A.
IN FOR A WAKE UP CALL
#10UPDATE Employee
Sun, September 07, 2003
STAY TUNED... ALL THAT HAVE OR WILL BE SCAMED. SOMEONE WILL BE SENDING IN APPROX. 19 HOURS OF VIDEO WITH THE TOP DOGS OF THE COMPANY ON THEM.
SOME STARS INCLUDE: MARK BERCH, IAN BERCH, MATT KNEMEYER. SOME VIDEOS CONTAIN VERY IN YOUR FACE THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU SICK.
I HAVE SPOKEN TO MY ATTORNY, AND HE HAS THE GREEN LIGHT TO SEND IT TO DATELINE AND 20/20. WE ARE WAITING FOR THE FINAL GREEN LIGHT ON THE LOCALS. I WILL TELL YOU ONE THING MARK...YOU KNOW WHO I AM, AND YOU KNOW THAT WHEN I SAY I WILL DO SOMETHING....IT WILL BE DONE. AND TO THINK, ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS CALL ME!!
ALSO...JUST SO YOU CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT MARK, ITS NOT ABOUT MONEY AND WE ALL KNOW THATS WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO. ABOUT THE TAPES, DO YOU REMEBER THE TIME YOU SAID " EVERYBODY NEEDS 3 POUNDS" WELL ITS ON THERE TOO. JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU JUST PISSED THE WRONG MANAGER OFF!!
MARK, ARE YOU THAT WEAK.... YOU DID NOT HAVE THE BALLS TO CALL AND TELL ME THAT YOU WERE CLOSING US DOWN, I HAVE GIVEN YOU ALOT OF MY TIME AND YOU SAY THINKS TO ME AND MY TECHS BY SENDING A HALF a*s MANAGER OVER TO ONE OF THE MOST HIGH TECH SHOPS YOU HAVE TO SHUT US DOWN.
Y THE WAY.... I HAD TO TELL HIM HOW TO SHUT ME DOWN. ONE MORE THING ... I WILL HELP ON THE WINDOW SIDE TOO! IF YOU DONT WANT MY HELP, YOU WILL HAVE TO FIRE MOST OF YOUR CREW! DO YOU KNOW WHY THEY TELL ME THE THINGS THEY DO? TRUST... I DONT LIE. I DO WHAT I SAY I WILL DO. THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO STOP AND THINK BEFORE YOU DO!
Randy
Clearwater,Florida,
U.S.A.
They need to be indicted on criminal, civil, and federal charges!!!
#10Consumer Comment
Wed, September 03, 2003
Sidney Schwartz :is owner of united restoration in florida, Mark berch must have been trained by MR.Schwartz or is somehow relative, because the affiliate or association of both these people,and their managers across the country, have done a great disservice, and have broken the public trust in every manner. They need to be indicted on criminal, civil, and federal charges!!!
john
anytown,California,
U.S.A.
WAKE-UP PEOPLE ..Mark Berch and his two brothers are about. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
#10UPDATE Employee
Tue, December 10, 2002
First of all,Brandon, and everyone else you need to wake -up and realize what They will do whatever it takes to get every cent from unsuspecting/naive people. Most Homeowners have no clue what parts are required to make a A/C,heating system work. This ignorance is where United preys and thrives on. And at last account, his net worth was approx. $31Million!! Not bad for taking people to the cleaners, HUH? Now, you're asking me how do I know so much about this company... Well I was with them for almost two years, had a clean record on my State License. At this time, there have been 13 registered complaints AGAINST ME,2 lawsuits and God only knows how many complaints came in that were not logged with the state. You still want to protect these people? Maybe you need to do ALOT of digging and find out the real truth!!
Brandon
St. Louis,Missouri,
This was real work
#10UPDATE Employee
Thu, November 21, 2002
As far as the "Taping" of your joints. They were not taped with duct tape. what the techs. put on there was a 3ply 3phase Mastic seal. That seal is the code in most state now and can be costly.
As far as them adding to the contract after you sighned it. I don't beleve it. I would like to see your carbon copy without all that other stuff. If your copy is blank, then I will believe you. United Air Comfort teaches it's techs to be fair and honest. That is not to say that some bad ones may have slipped through the cracks. but that is the case in all home services.